by John Vinopal For the first time in 14 years, I seriously doubted whether I could complete my quarterly contribution to the pages of the Almanac. Life has been very hectic as of late, and I struggle to read, let alone write. I started a new job that has me wondering why I complained about the boredom I experienced in my previous place of employment. My daughter and her boyfriend braved the long and winding road from The Big Apple to Second City for a week-long visit. My cousins from California decided to spend their vacation with their favorite cousin, leaving me in need of a vacation of my own. Never a dull moment and precious little time to think of my responsibility to you, my loyal readers. Did I mention that my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer?? Not an ideal subject for a humorist, but the prognosis is excellent, so we are now laughing more than we are crying. And despite the bumps along the road we have yet to navigate, I thought that it might be beneficial to summarize our journey thus far— hopefully, for you to share vicariously, rather than experience yourselves. In my opinion, it all started when my wife and I participated in the annual “Save the Boobies” golf outing, organized to raise funds for breast cancer research. We had a wonderful time and raised a lot of money for a good cause, but I’ll admit to having felt disturbed by the realization that I do not own a single stich of pink clothing. I stuck out like a sore thumb. About a week later, my wife was notified that there was an irregularity in her annual mammogram and that an ultrasound was needed to make a more definitive diagnosis. The ultrasound confirmed there was a mass, but she was told not to worry. One hundred percent of breast masses are biopsied, but only about 40 percent prove to be malignant. Unfortunately, we fell on the wrong side of those favorable odds. Stage one breast cancer, estrogen receptive, and HER2 non-amplified— terms I had never heard before and a level of expertise we never desired. A lumpectomy was recommended, which would reveal the answer to an additional question: Is there lymph node involvement? The sentinel node would provide that answer, but is accessible only as part of the lumpectomy surgery. If yes, chemotherapy and radiation is the standard care to minimize the chance of recurrence. If the nodes are clear, radiation is probably all we would need. The surgery was successful and the nodes were clear of cancer, so we relaxed for a moment until we learned about a procedure called “Oncotyping”. This test analyzes the tumor’s cells to determine its relative aggressiveness. Prior to Oncotype, a majority of breast cancer patients that had undergone a lumpectomy received the “default” post-operative chemotherapy and radiation— although, only a small percentage of those women actually needed chemo. Again, our results disappointingly put us in that small percentage of the oncotype range and as of the writing of this article, we await the next leg in our quest for cancer-freedom. Well, that’s about as briefly as I can describe what has felt like a lifetime to experience. Our spirits are high and we have no doubt the future is bright. As my wife proudly states, “I lost some tissue, but have a lot left, and I’m going to kick cancer’s butt.” We are only made more confident having heard the success stories of those who count their days, months, and years of cancer survival like precious anniversaries. It is a little frightening to note just how many people are diagnosed with cancer every year. But despite that alarming number, it is truly a miracle of modern medicine and an inspiration to know that today, this bump in the road is by no means a death sentence. And although the treatment will temporarily knock her down, my wife is certain to bounce back. I have never doubted this since the day she was diagnosed, which is tough for a guy like me who is naturally pessimistic. I look forward to the day when Jan can begin counting her years as a cancer survivor and I can happily return to my “half-empty” nature, proudly wearing PINK!October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.Ladies, please make sure to schedule a mammogram today!Back to John's Page

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